Uniform caps

ABSTRACT

An improvement is provided in uniform caps which have a stiff band constructed and arranged to fit the head of a user, a nonself-supporting cover, a visor and a flaring crown portion. The flaring crown is normally held in a raised position in use by a front stay. A hinge interconnects the band and the stay with the hinge having a stop which limits a stretched cover condition with the peak of the crown raised while permitting hinge pivoting to define a collapsed peak position of the crown for ease of storage and shipment.

l Unlted States Paten [191 [111 3,816,852 Weinstein [4.5] J 18, 1974 UNIFORM CAPS [75] Inventor: Bernard Weinstein, Newton, Mass. f' Examl'fermjames Bgler ASSISIGHI Examiner-Peter Nerbun Asslgneer Ballcmfl Cap Company, Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Wolf; Greenfield & Sacks Framingham, Mass. [22 Filed: Apr. 12, 1973 [571 ABSTRACT An improvement is provided in uniform caps which [2]] Appl' 350387 have a stiff band constructed and arranged to fit the head of a user, a non-self-supporting cover, a visor [52] US. Cl. 2/195 and a flaring crown portion. The flaring crown is nor- [51] Int. Cl. A42b 1/00, A421) 1/20 m ly d n a ra sed position in use by a front stay. A [58] Field of Search 2/ 195, 180, 171 ng n r nn ts he and and the stay with the hinge having a stop which limits a stretched cover [56] Refere ce Cit d condition with the peak of the crown raised while per- UNITED STATES PATENTS mitting hinge pivoting to define a collapsed peak posi 2,450,148 9/1948 Libshut'z et al. 2/195 of the crow for ease of stqmge and 254L168 2/1951 Libshutz et a]. 2/195 2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures 1 UNIFORM CAPS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Military caps of the type worn by officers and similar uniform caps are commonly made with a relatively stiff band or frame, a visor and a flaring front crown or peak which is normally held in a raised position by a front stay. Such uniform caps present problems in shipping and storage because of the peaked top or tip which is often spread outwardly by a circular wire grommet inclined with respect to the top of the band. Thus, the height of the cap in front between the bottom edge of the visor and the top of the cap is materially greater than the height at the rear portion which is substantially no greater than the height of the band or frame. Various solutions to the problem of shipping and storing have been devised in the past as exemplified by US. Pat. No. 2,368,825 and US. Pat. No. 2,450,148. More recently, a hinge arrangement in uniform caps has been used to permit automatic folding of the peak without the need for manual manipulation of locking mechanisms. Thus, various constructions are known to allow for a collapsed cap cover position. However, the known prior art constructions often have one or more disadvantages such as undue complexity, high cost, requirement for manual manipulation of the locking device and/or unwanted upward projections which tend to damage the cap cover when the cover is in the collapsed position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a uniform cap having an improved collapsing construction to allow rapid and easy folding of the cap into a substantially flattened unit for shipping and storing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a uniform cap in accordance with the preceding object which is capable of being produced rapidly with minimized complexity and cost yet, can be quickly and eas ily unfolded to a stretched cover position or collapsed to a shipping and storing position.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a uniform cap in accordance with the preceding objects which has a stop means to limit rearward movement of the peak in the unfolded position of the cap while minimizing the possibility of damage to the cap cover in the collapsed position.

According to the invention, a uniform cap comprises a frame or band constructed and arranged to fit the head of a user. A stay means supports a flexible cap cover over the frame with the cover in a stretched condition having a front peak or in a collapsed peak position for shipping and storing. Hinge means interconnect the stay and the frame. The hinge means comprises a base plate attached to the frame and a pivot plate pivotally attached to the base plate through a pivot pin. The hinge means carries a stop extending from one of the plates which limits pivoting movement of the plates with respect to each other to limit the uppermost or stretched cover condition while permitting pivoting movement of the plates, with respect to each other, to the cover collapsed peak condition. The stop defines a smooth curved surface which engages the cover in the collapsed peak condition.

It is a feature of this invention that the hinge means does not have any upstanding sharp edges which might damage the cover as by cutting or abrasion when the cap is in the collapsed peak condition. Still another feature resides in the stop having a second action aside from minimizing damage, which limits travel of a hinge plate so as to prevent unwanted rearward movement of the hinge plate while permitting forward movement of the hinge plate over the visor to the collapsed position. Still another feature of the invention resides in ease of use of the improved hinge means of this invention in conventional unitary uniform caps having a stitched. in place cover, or use with uniform caps having cap. covers which are changeable on a single frame for various dress occasions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a uniform cap in accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention with a portion at the front broken away;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a front portion of the cap of FIG. 1 showing the cover in the collapsed peak condition;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the novel and improved hinge construction used in the cap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross section thereof taken through line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are cross sectional views taken through line 55 of FIG. 3 and showing respectively the stretched upright peak configuration, an intermedi ate position, and the peak collapsed position of the cap.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference now to the drawings and more particularly FIGS. 1-3, a preferred embodiment of a uniform cap of this invention is illustrated generally at and has a band or frame 11 sized to fit the head of a wearer, a forwardly and downwardly extending visor 12, a nonself-supporting cap cover 13, a hinge l4 and stay arrangement 19.

The cap 10 is constructed as known in the art with a variety of cover, frame and visor materials. In the preferred embodiment, the composite band 11 has an encircling stiffener band 15 covered with a decorative covering band 16 and an inner lining or sweatband l7 stitched together at top and bottom edges. The visor 12 is a leather stiff curved board visor sewn to the stiffener band 15 along line 18 as known in the art.

The cover 13 has a fabric circular outer section 20 and underlying fabric section 21 preferably of the same material as section 20 with adjacent lining plastic sheet layers 22 and 23. The underlying circular edge of the cover 13 is stitched to the band 11 as shown at 30. An encircling seam 31 at the upper portion of the cap has bent over edges and is stitched to an inner encircling tape 32. An encircling stretching member such as a wire grommet or a circular outwardly flexed angular ring 33 is provided. The annular ring 33 urges the nonself-supporting cap cover into its stretched condition when the peak is raised as in FIG. 1 and also in the peak collapsed position as shown in FIG. 2.

A decorative leather band 34 extends over the front half of the band 11 and is attached thereto by mounting buttons 35 as is conventional in the art.

A stiff stay 19 formed of A inch thick substantially rigid plastic is sewn at its top edge to an encircling fabric tape 41 which is in turn sewed within a folded over edge substantially at the cap seam 31. This stay is in turn rigidly attached to a pivot plate 42 of the hinge 14 which has a base plate 43 and a pivot pin 49. The base plate 43 is in turn rigidly attached to a mounting plate 44 by rivets 45. The mounting plate 44 has a curved horizontal cross section and is riveted or sewn to the band 11 at the forward portion of the band 11 by means of holes 46.

Pivot plate 42 has a stamped out portion 47 overlying a similar stamped out portion in the stay with a conventional outwardly flared elongated rivet 48 joining the pivot plate to the stay. The cutout portion 47 permits mounting of insignia pins which project through the crown portion of the cap so that locking means for the pins can be supported by the rivet 48 in accordance with known practice.

In the dress position or unfolded use position of the cap as shown in FIG. 1, the pivot plate 42 is in its upright position with the cap cover peak raised. The stiffness of the stay in conjunction with the hinge action and outward urging of the resiliently biased member 33 act to maintain the cover in this stretched position. Manual pressure on the peak of the cap in the direction of arrow 100, moves the peak to its collapsed position shown in FIG. 2. In the position of FIG. 2, the cap cover may often contact the hinge means when pressure is applied to the outside of the cap cover as by an overlying cap in a stack pressing downwardly or placing the cap cover down on a shelf.

FIG. A illustrates the hinge structure in the raised position shown in FIG. 1. Pivot plate 42 has a wrapped around arcuate section 50 pivotally mounting it on the pivot pin 49. Pivot plate 42 further has an integral tab cam extension 51 yieldably held in place by spring action of the plate 43. In the raised position of FIG. 1 and FIG. 5A, a flat surface 65 of cam extension 51 is yieldably spring biased to act as a resilient releasable stop for upward movement of the stay.

Plate 43 has three integral upwardly extending arms 52, 53 and 54 with the outer arms 52 and 54 having bent over tabs 52a and 54a pivotally mounted on the pivot pin and locked thereto. The center arm 53 has a bent over projection or tab 60 extending above the pivot pin and defining a stop edge 61 as will be further described. Plate 43 and its arms 52, 53 and 54 are preferably made of a yieldable spring material. Thus, as the plate 42 moves downwardly to the position shown in FIG. 58, intermediate the positions of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the arm 53 is urged outwardly in the direction of the arrow shown at 62 while the arms 52 and 54 are urged somewhat inwardly in the opposite direction.

In the collapsed or down position of the hinge as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5C, the outer-curved surface of turned over portion 60 presents a smooth surface to any of the cloth or plastic material of the cap cover which may come in contact therewith when the cap is collapsed. This smooth surface prevents abrasion and cutting which can cause resultant damage to the cap even though several caps may be stacked in shipment. The bent over portion further functions to provide a downward stop for the collapsed position of the hinge although further movement in a downward direction is possible by resilient displacement of the arm 53. This stop action is illustrated in FIG. 5C where the cam extension 51 is removably locked in the curved under surface of the bent over portion 60.

An important feature of the bent over tab portion 60 is the provision of the fixed stop 61. The stop 61 can be extended forwardly to define the raised position of the peak if desired. However, even when it is spaced from the stay as shown in FIG. 1, it does act as a limit to positively prevent rearward movement of the peak. Thus, there is no possiblity of the peak being collapsed rearwardly as during high winds or rough handling.

While a specific embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, it should be understood that many variations are possible. For example, the novel and advantageous hinge construction of this invention can be used in other uniform caps such as caps of the type where the cover 13 is removable. In such cases, the upper portion of the stay is normally attached directly to the ring or wire grommet which biases the cover to its outwardly stretched position.

What is claimed is:

1. A uniform cap comprising,

a frame constructed and arranged to fit the head of a user, means for supporting a non'self-supporting cover over said frame with said cover in a stretched condition having a peak or a collapsed peak position for shipping and storing.

hinge means interconnecting said first-mentioned means and said frame,

said hinge means comprising a base plate attached to said frame and a pivot plate pivotally attached to said base plate,

said hinge means further comprising a fixed stop extending from one of said plates and limiting pivoting movement of said plates with respect to each other to limit said stretched cover condition while permitting pivoting movement of said plates with respect to each other to said cover collapsed peak condition,

said stop defining a smooth curved surface with engages said cover in said collapsed peak condition said base plate defining three upwardly extending spring arms, one of said arms defining a bent over portion having an edge acting as said fixed stop and providing said smooth curved surface.

2. A uniform cap in accordance with claim 1 and fur ther comprising, 1

said pivot plate carrying a cam extension which cam coacts with said spring arms to resiliently bias said cap cover into said stretched position or said collapsed peak position.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,816,852 Dated June 18, 1974 Bernard Weinstein Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2; line 60, change "angular" to --annu1ar-- Column 4; line 47, change "wit to -which-- Signed end sealed this 1st day of October 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC GOBTG-PGQ UAS. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ID! 0-365-33.

FORM PO-105O (10-69) 

1. A uniform cap comprising, a frame constructed and arranged to fit the head of a user, means for supporting a non-self-supporting cover over said frame with said cover in a stretched condition having a peak or a collapsed peak position for shipping and storing, hinge means interconnecting said first-mentioned means and said frame, said hinge means comprising a base plate attached to said frame and a pivot plate pivotally attached to said base plate, said hinge means further comprising a fixed stop extending from one of said plates and limiting pivoting movement of said plates with respect to each other to limit said stretched cover condition while permitting pivoting movement of said plates with respect to each other to said cover collapsed peak condition, said stop defining a smooth curved surface with engages said cover in said collapsed peak condition said base plate defining three upwardly extending spring arms, one of said arms defining a bent over portion having an edge acting as said fixed stop and providing said smooth curved surface.
 2. A uniform cap in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising, said pivot plate carrying a cam extension which cam coacts with said spring arms to resiliently bias said cap cover into said stretched position or said collapsed peak position. 